November/December 2014 Issue

SOUTH KOREA: A mummy discovered last year in a 17th-century royal tomb from the Joseon period belonged to a man who likely spent much of his life with mysterious pains in his torso. Modern medical imaging techniques—followed by an autopsy—have shown that he suffered from a congenital hernia, a birth defect that left a hole in his diaphragm that allowed the organs from his abdomen, including part of his liver and stomach, to push up into his chest, putting pressure on his heart and lungs.—SAMIR S. PATEL

SUDAN: An archaeological project focused on the city of Dangeil, dating to the Kingdom of Kush, from the 3rd century B.C. to the 4th century a.d., has revealed the results of the excavation of a cemetery. So far, 52 tombs have been excavated with a great variety of grave goods, including large beer jars, a unique set of seven attached bowls, a silver signet ring, and a faience box crafted with udjat eyes, an Egyptian symbol of power and protection. Egyptian, Greco-Roman, and African cultures all influenced Kushite society in the period. —SAMIR S. PATEL

ISRAEL: A copper alloy awl found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley is the oldest known metal object in the Middle East. It dates to between 5100 and 4600 B.C., perhaps a millennium before native copper metallurgy emerged in the region. The composition of the tool suggests that it was imported from the north, which may have been the source for metallurgical technology that would later emerge. It was found in the most elaborate burial of the period in the region, suggesting it was a particularly rare and coveted item.—SAMIR S. PATEL